Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
Volume One of Marx's Capital is readable and understandable. I think because Marx finished this volume himself before he died. Volume two and three are a cobbling together of Marx's writings by Engels posthumously and it shows. Volume one is long and detailed but makes a strong argument based on the labor theory of value and profits being exploited by capitalists as baked into the system. The baroque pathologies of this form of exploitation drive history in Marx's view by driving the political struggle of working people. If I had read this in 1985 I would have said yeah but we are beyond this stuff in the late twentieth century. Reading it in 2021 I rather think it is salient and extremely relevant. Marx is definitely in season in the early 21st century.
An important text no doubt and I don't take issue with anything said in it, but much of this seems like common sense to anyone who's paying attention. Marx is simply too long-winded in his explanations of seemingly simple concepts and this book drags on and on as a result.
The part I found most interesting was the extensive documentation of the atrocities committed against laborers in the pursuit of capital. However limited the protections of the laboring class may be in the western world, it's important that we realize that advances HAVE been made (largely as a result of bloodshed and unionization). These advances are precarious, however, and are under constant assault by the powers that be. We must not allow these protections to be unraveled and we must unite to insist that more be implemented.
The part I found most interesting was the extensive documentation of the atrocities committed against laborers in the pursuit of capital. However limited the protections of the laboring class may be in the western world, it's important that we realize that advances HAVE been made (largely as a result of bloodshed and unionization). These advances are precarious, however, and are under constant assault by the powers that be. We must not allow these protections to be unraveled and we must unite to insist that more be implemented.
The book is so large & thorough that any review cannot really do it justice. As a friend said to me when we were discussing the book, "We're all loosely familiar with capitalism but it sounds like this book takes your hand & walks you door to door." (Loosely quoted) And that, indeed, it does. It is a thorough breakdown & explanation of capital & how it functions in our world. It describes the ins & outs, it's functions, the social relation of it between capitalist & laborer, the social conditions it produces in society as a result and much more.
The first 3 chapters are challenging & I've read that people usually quit reading it because of them but if you can get through them, the rest of the book is a breeze. They do help with understanding the rest of the book but aren't necessary to do so. I've even read suggestions of reading it out of order or reading specific chapters to get the gist of the book.
Marx explains the difference between where the capitalist starts off & where the laborer starts off & in the formula it is immediately obvious why people are stuck in their respective cycles. The capitalist gets more for less out of the worker. Workers demands & wages are kept in check by the constant surplus of workers in general to drive wages down & full employment is never allowed to happen & can't happen by design. There is a great breakdown of how the worker is exploited & pushed to create surplus value & how the time spent working is not just for their means of subsistence. Wages are intentionally kept below what one ultimately needs to survive, otherwise why would we work so much? We are always operating at a loss. That different groups are pitted against each other or divided via various forms of oppression of given attention as well. The typical comment on these divisions is that to focus on them is to do so st the expense of understanding class warfare as if the oppressed & a more privileged group operate on equal footing (they don't) & any criticism pointing out issues the more oppressed group should be a lesson to the more privileged to acknowledge how they feed into this oppression & do the dirty work of the oppressors & should find ways to cease & remedy that but I seldom see that acknowledged adequately but that is an issue in & of itself.
Marx provides numerous example throughout history as it pertains to feudalism, slavery & colonialism & the roles they play in either the creation of capitalist economies or its maintenance. There is attention given to the general conditions of poverty capitalism creates via historical examples in Ireland & England. The overcrowding, malnutrition, disease, creation of large families in these conditions that can't hope to have enough but create more workers for the machine. I do think Marx underestimated the ability of the oppressors to keep the masses ignorant & thus unable to mobilize.
It is an important read in order to understand the tether forced upon us. It's honestly left me even more disgusted with society, this world, as it currently functions. Any hope for change must come not from reform but from a new society. If & when that will happen, remains to be seen. It's a lot but worth the time & effort.
The first 3 chapters are challenging & I've read that people usually quit reading it because of them but if you can get through them, the rest of the book is a breeze. They do help with understanding the rest of the book but aren't necessary to do so. I've even read suggestions of reading it out of order or reading specific chapters to get the gist of the book.
Marx explains the difference between where the capitalist starts off & where the laborer starts off & in the formula it is immediately obvious why people are stuck in their respective cycles. The capitalist gets more for less out of the worker. Workers demands & wages are kept in check by the constant surplus of workers in general to drive wages down & full employment is never allowed to happen & can't happen by design. There is a great breakdown of how the worker is exploited & pushed to create surplus value & how the time spent working is not just for their means of subsistence. Wages are intentionally kept below what one ultimately needs to survive, otherwise why would we work so much? We are always operating at a loss. That different groups are pitted against each other or divided via various forms of oppression of given attention as well. The typical comment on these divisions is that to focus on them is to do so st the expense of understanding class warfare as if the oppressed & a more privileged group operate on equal footing (they don't) & any criticism pointing out issues the more oppressed group should be a lesson to the more privileged to acknowledge how they feed into this oppression & do the dirty work of the oppressors & should find ways to cease & remedy that but I seldom see that acknowledged adequately but that is an issue in & of itself.
Marx provides numerous example throughout history as it pertains to feudalism, slavery & colonialism & the roles they play in either the creation of capitalist economies or its maintenance. There is attention given to the general conditions of poverty capitalism creates via historical examples in Ireland & England. The overcrowding, malnutrition, disease, creation of large families in these conditions that can't hope to have enough but create more workers for the machine. I do think Marx underestimated the ability of the oppressors to keep the masses ignorant & thus unable to mobilize.
It is an important read in order to understand the tether forced upon us. It's honestly left me even more disgusted with society, this world, as it currently functions. Any hope for change must come not from reform but from a new society. If & when that will happen, remains to be seen. It's a lot but worth the time & effort.
Some good ideas, but the first 9/10 were a slog and it needed serious editing.
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
I attempted to read this, when I was 18, but I had to give up after 40 pages, it was far too theoretical. Perhaps I should give it a second chance but I doubt that would be a success.
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced